Iraola demands 'higher levels' from Liverpool ahead of Carabao Cup clash with Tottenham

Andoni Iraola has publicly challenged Liverpool to raise their performance levels after a frustrating 0-0 draw with Fulham at Anfield left the Reds six points adrift of Premier League leaders Arsenal and Manchester City.

Fulham claimed their first point of the season at Anfield, exposing Liverpool’s inability to break down a well-organised defensive block. It was the second time this season Liverpool have failed to win a Premier League home game, compounding early pressure on Iraola as he works to embed his ideas at the club.

Writing in his programme notes ahead of Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie with Tottenham, Iraola was direct in his assessment. “There is no point making excuses or complaining about the time that we have to recover,” he said. “This kind of situation is going to happen many times this season, so we have to face it and make the best of it. We should certainly be aiming for higher performance levels than we were able to reach at the weekend and we should also be finding ways to win.”

The Spaniard acknowledged the relentless fixture schedule — Tuesday’s match is Liverpool’s fourth game in 11 days — but refused to use it as a shield. He pointed to the club’s broader ambitions as the driving motivation, adding: “We want to be playing in the Champions League for as long as we can this season and we also want to be in the cup competitions for as long as we can.”

Iraola also hinted at squad rotation against Spurs, citing the need to give fringe players more minutes. “We have a number of players who deserve more minutes than I have been able to give them up to this point so that will come into my thinking, particularly as we also have players who have already given a lot,” he said.

The one bright spot in Liverpool’s early campaign was a Champions League comeback win over Atlético Madrid, when they overturned a one-goal deficit to claim all three points — a result Iraola described as their best of the season so far.

Tottenham arrive at Anfield in similarly unconvincing form, having failed to score in any of their four Premier League outings. Their sole victory this season came against Charlton in the Carabao Cup, making Tuesday’s fixture a meeting of two sides searching for momentum.